Claustrophobia
by CharlotteCharade
Summary: May is ready to take her relationship with Steven to the next level, but he seems to be hiding something. Plotless Hoennchampionshipping one-shot. Rated M because it was removed from dA; there are no full sex scenes.


_"Steven, I'm sorry. I just don't think this is working anymore."_

 _"Why are you doing this?" The silver-haired man picked his head up out of his hands, leaving his elbows perched on his knees. "You could have at least talked to me before sleeping with someone else."_

 _"What I did was wrong. But if we can't make each other happy anymore, then I don't think we should be together. That's really all there is to it, and I'm sorry." The woman flipped her extremely long, dark brunette hair over her shoulder and slung her purse across her body. "I hope you understand."_

 _"I don't. I really don't." He stared into her beautiful mahogany eyes, trying to find an answer. "I'm really happy with you. I care about you more than anything."_

 _She sighed sadly, pretending not to notice the tears forming in his eyes. "I know. But that's just not enough. I'm sorry to say, but I just can't believe you completely unless you show me how much you want me." Steven listened in a heartbroken silence. He had nothing more to say and nothing more he could do. She took a deep breath. "You'll find someone who understands." Double-checking that her dress was on properly, she opened his front door. "Goodbye Steven."_

* * *

Dimmed lights accentuated the flashing of the TV screen. Steven sat on his couch, arm draped across the back. May sat beside him, leaned forward towards the screen, watching intently while munching on popcorn. There was a certain peace filling his small house; there was no place to be. There were no deadlines to meet. It was just him, his girlfriend, and one of his favorite movies. All would have been tranquil, except…

"If this is supposed to be so futuristic, I don't understand how Aerospace doesn't find out he's an imposter." May said aloud through mouthfuls of popcorn.

Steven glanced at her, but didn't respond. He learned not to by now - it was hopeless.

"There's no way anyone could get away with that." She chimed in again.

"May, keep watching the movie. You'll see." Steven said.

"So they catch him?"

"... I didn't say that." Steven replied. "Look, pay attention - this part is important."

"I see what's going on, but how would they even know what genes he has, anyway? I don't understand why -"

"May, it's just a movie." He interrupted, almost tempted to laugh at her overwhelmingly vocalized curiosity.

"But Steven, I can't watch a movie without pointing out so many plot holes!"

Finally, Steven sighed in defeat. He reached for the remote and paused the movie that he could probably recite by heart after seeing it so many times.

"Hey!" May exclaimed. "You didn't have to pause it!"

"With all your commentary I don't know how you can even pay attention to what's going on."

"I can do both." She smirked, rotating her body to face him. "I just have a lot to say."

"I know that's true." Steven remarked, chuckling lightly as he brought his arm from the back of the couch and put it around her shoulder. "That's just one thing I love about you."

May giggled, appreciative that the bereft lighting would mask her undoubtedly reddening face. She gave her boyfriend a quick kiss on the cheek before snuggling into his chest. "Do you wanna put the movie back on?"

"Are you gonna keep talking?"

"Well, yeah. Of course." She may as well have thrown a 'duh' in to match the tone of her response. "Give me the remote; I wanna see what happens to Vincent." Reaching for the hand that held the remote, May was taken slightly aback when he raised it high above his head so that she couldn't reach.

"I can't if you talk through it." He smiled amusedly at her failed attempt to grab the remote from him.

May scoffed, doing her very best to reach his raised hand so she could simply watch the movie in peace. "Just give it to me!"

She hardly realized that she was reaching so far that she had practically climbed atop him in her futile attempt to snatch control of the remote. That is, until she lost her balance and fell right onto his chest. Her hands were the only thing that cushioned her fall.  
Laughter quickly filled the room, from Steven at least.

"Jerk." May muttered although her slight smile ruined her facade of being angry.

"Fine," Steven said in between his laughs. He lowered his arm and brought it to her back, brushing a strand of hair out of her face with his other hand. Her stunningly blue eyes glimmered beautifully, even in the minimal light present in the room He swore her sapphire eyes could melt him. Having her so close was all it took to win him over. "You want to see the rest of the movie? Then we'll watch it. And yes, you can talk as much as you want."

"Hm," May hummed. "You're too late. I kinda wanna do something else right now." Using her hands that rested on his chest, she brought herself up so that her face was closer to his - her lips only inches away. May's hands snaked around Steven's neck, twirling a small strand of his hair with one of her fingers.

A smile took over Steven's face as he put the remote aside. It was of utmost importance just seconds ago; now neither of them could care less about the movie.

Steven closed the distance between them in a soft, slow kiss. Their lips barely grazed the first time, but May quickly came back for more.

Their lips moved in a synchronized rhythm, gradually gaining momentum. It startled him when May gently bit his lip; he swore he felt his own lips quiver in response. To return her forwardness, Steven ran his hands through her hair that hung loosely on her shoulders. He flicked at her lips with his tongue, but didn't enter when she let him. She groaned at his teasing, wanting nothing more at this moment than all of him.

As punishment for tormenting her, she positioned her legs on both sides of him, straddling him in place and putting herself in control. She kissed him so fiercely, so passionately that he finally allowed her tongue to entwine with his. His hands started at her waist but soon began wandering her back.

May pulled away for a moment, just long enough for him to see all the desire pent up in her eyes. He gasped for air while he had the chance, but he didn't have much time before she swiftly unbuttoned the first few buttons on his shirt and began kissing his neck.

His breaths became staggered when she began to gently suck the soft skin near his collar bone - low enough so he would easily be able to cover any marks. She pressed her body against his, her chest rising and falling with each deep breath. This was not close to being their first time kissing like this, but never had they taken the next step. Feeling his arousal pressing through his pants and into her inner thigh, May could not think of one viable reason to wait any longer.

She rolled her hips into his pelvis, her lips finding his own once again. He flinched as she did this, suddenly pulling away from her tempting kiss. May used the opportunity to take hold of his hands as she guided them to her ribs, just beneath her breasts, thirsting for him to take control. Feeling his fingers so close made her want him even more intensely.

Steven exhaled awkwardly. He removed his hands from her torso and instead brought one to her forehead. Brushing away the hair that fell into her face, he pressed his lips gently to her forehead, then again to her nose.

A soft smile radiated off her lips as she waited in a sort of nervous anticipation for what would happen next.

He cleared his throat, taking her by her hips and gently nudging her away so that he could talk to her more comfortably.

"Let's finish the movie, all right?" He said with an obliviously innocent smile.

She stared at him for a few long seconds, her lips parted slightly in confusion as her eyes blinked more rapidly than normal.

From the curve of his eyes to the smile on his lips, he reflected nothing but sincerity and happiness. She swallowed heavily, biting the inside of her lip as nodded simply. She crawled off of his lap and returned next to him on the couch without a word. He pulled her close to his chest as he put his arm around her waist. Suddenly, the movie was playing again, but May had no interruptions to make. Her mind was too full with her own imagination running wild, trying to connect the dots as to why Steven would stop her.

* * *

"I'm just saying, Cynthia could probably kick Diantha's ass."

"I don't know, Brendan." Wally responded. "It would probably come down to a battle between Cynthia's Garchomp and Diantha's famous Gardevoir. You still think Cynthia would win at a type disadvantage?"

"Oh yeah. Type advantage probably means nothing when you're champion." Brendan responded.

"That's … that's not true." May said.

The three sat inside Wally's secret base; it was a small cavern just outside Victory Road. Upon stepping outside, the luxurious aroma of Ever Grande's flowers would immediately embrace any visitors. It was habit for May to stop by when she got a break at the League, and on occasion Brendan would join them.

"Whatever," Brendan shrugged. "Cynthia can do no wrong in my book." May rolled her eyes, letting out an audible "tch" in response.

All eyes turned to Wally when his PokéNav started to ring. Glancing at the ID, he promptly rose from his chair.

"Sorry, guys! I have to take this. I'll be right back!" Wally smiled graciously as he stepped outside his own base, leaving Brendan and May alone inside.

May instantly turned her attention to her neighbor, who appeared to be slightly spacing out as he took a sip of his soda.

"Ok, Brendan, quick. Answer me this. How long do you wait to sleep with a girl?"

That certainly got his attention. He nearly choked on his soda, struggling to not spit it out from pure surprise.

After a small coughing fit, all he could muster up was a shaky "what?!" in between bursts of laughter.

"Seriously!" May pleaded, checking the entrance to see if Wally was coming back yet. "I can't talk about this in front of Wally. He's so… well, _Wally_."

"I'm assuming this is about Steven?" Brendan asked, trying desperately to not laugh anymore. "You mean you guys haven't -"

"No." May interrupted. "But I've been dropping hints that I want to; he just doesn't seem interested in doing it with me."

Without taking much time to think, Brendan responded the first thing that came to his mind. "Maybe he's gay."

"Brendan!" May's voice rose shrilly. "That's… no. That's definitely not the issue."

"Hm, well you know." Brendan began. "As you've said yourself before, guys don't always know what a girl wants with all your 'hints' and passive aggression. Maybe he wants to, but it's not obvious enough to him that you're ready."

May folded her arms, finding it hard to believe her advances could be overlooked. "I thought I _was_ being forward enough." She pursed her lips, contemplating all the thoughts that went through her head that night once again. "What if he just isn't into me in that way, you know? What if he's just not attracted to me? What if he doesn't like how I kiss? Or what if he secretly doesn't acknowledge me as an equal?"

"Then he's a dumbass?" Brendan answered bluntly. "May, I think you're putting too much thought into it. Anyone can see that he looks at you like he looks at one of his rocks, so he's obviously into you."

May sighed, appreciating her friend's words although unable to fully believe them. "Well, if that's the case, then how should I make it perfectly clear that I'm ready?"

"Doesn't really matter how. Just throw yourself at him." He responded a little too casually.

"Way to make me sound classy." May responded blandly. "So what, should I just show up at his place wearing nothing but a blindfold? Will that get the freaking message across that I want to have sex with him?"

"Actually," a different, softer voice chimed in. Without even turning around to see the owner of the voice, May's eyes grew round in horror at the realization that Wally had just walked in. He continued, "I think talking to him first might be a better choice."

"Wally…" May gritted her teeth. Why did he have to walk in at that moment? Wally was undoubtedly all grown up, but he would always seem so much younger to her. She still felt the need to protect him and watch over him despite the strength she knew he had.

Still, this was not a conversation she was prepared to have with him.

"I mean it." Wally said. "I think talking to him about how you feel might be the better option, and perhaps less uncomfortable for both of you… right?"

"I… I guess." May mumbled. "Actually, you know, maybe that's not a bad idea."

"It's better to be upfront with your feelings." Wally noted. "That way, neither of you are forced into a position you're not comfortable with. It's important to respect each other's comfort limits."

"Damn, Wally." Brendan exclaimed. "When did you get so philosophical?"

Wally's lips thinned as he glared at the slightly older young man. "It's not philosophy. It just seems a bit more sensible than 'throwing' herself at him…"

"Guys, okay. I'll do it." May stood up from Wally's bed, PokéNav in hand. "I'll call him right now and invite him over tonight. Then I'll just see how it goes from there. Wish me luck."

"Don't forget the blindfold." Brendan projected as May exited the base. She didn't stop to show him her disgusted expression, but he could imagine her face upon the remark.

Dialing her boyfriend's number, she didn't know why she suddenly felt Beautflies fluttering in her stomach. But she dialed anyway, focusing on the long, drawn out rings to distract her from the sound of her heart beating relentlessly in her chest.

"Hey." She said once she heard Steven answer. "I'm free this evening; wanna come over tonight?"

* * *

Feeling the warmth of the evening sun shining through the window, a soft breeze gently entered May's room, blowing the sheer white curtains and gently caressing her skin. The temperature was perfect for early summer, but all the beauties of nature paled in comparison to the bliss of holding him so close.

The plan was to talk to him, but seeing him, holding him, feeling his skin against hers - she was at a complete loss for words.

Taking him in her arms, feeling every inch of him against her body, it was pure ecstasy. Steven pulled May's body into his, hands gently snaking around her waist. She stood on the tips of her toes to place a soft kiss on his lips that he readily returned.  
Everything was perfect. Her lips felt divine as they caressed his own; her tongue that flicked against his sent her head spinning. Her small hands trailed down both of his lean arms, taking in as much of him as she could. Maybe they wouldn't even need to talk.

He didn't stop her when she loosened the tie around his neck and began pulling it off. He didn't stop her when she slipped her hands underneath his suit jacket and slid it off his shoulders. He shifted his body so that it fell straight to the floor. Their lips never parted as she walked backwards, gently pulling him along with her.

Her heart was steadily pounding by the time they got to her bed. She didn't want to break the kiss in fear that her face would be embarrassingly flushed. Unfortunately, May had to pull away in order to crawl into her bed and pull the much taller man in along with her. He lay next to her, side by side. She shivered at the cold metal of his rings as he ran his fingers down her jaw line, gradually easing her back into a kiss. Feeling the warmth of his skin, the beating of his heart, the caresses of his tongue against hers, she hungered with lust for more. She pulled away from Steven once more to admire the perfection that was her partner. His silver eyes that bore into her own, revealed nothing but love and intimacy. At that moment, she knew she was ready.

While admiring the beauty of the young woman beside him, he could only smile at the thought that this wonderful girl chose to be with him. He would give her the world if he could, and he has probably already tried. He felt her hands graze over his chest as their lips entwined once more. Running his hand through her golden brown hair, she moaned softly into his lips. Her hand moved lower, tracing every inch of his abdomen. He wanted to give her the world, but he was quickly realizing that maybe, he couldn't.

May pulled away from his lips and left a trail of soft kisses down his jaw line to his neck. He now realized her hand was toying with his belt, fumbling a little clumsily until it finally unhooked.

Tantalizingly playing inch by inch, her hand trailed further south until …

"May," he gasped, pulling away and grabbing her traveling hand in a split second. Her eyes fluttered open, breaking the hypnotic trance she was in.

"What's wrong?" She whispered, retracting both of her hands and bringing them back to her own person.

Something in her expression was hard to read. Was it confusion? Astonishment? Or… _oh no,_ disappointment?

"Nothing." Steven responded so casually, it was clearly forced.

"Steven, you stopped me. You're uncomfortable."

"No, honestly. I'm fine." He chuckled awkwardly, not convincing her at all.

"Are you a virgin or something?" May asked with a playful grin.

"What? May, that's not why -"

"You are, aren't you?" She gave him a devilish smirk as she teasingly bit her lower lip.

"May, focus." His cheeks began to burn in embarrassment.

"Here, sorry." She replied with a soft giggle, pulling the strap of her tank top back up her shoulder. She sat up straighter in her bed. "In all seriousness, Steven. What aren't you telling me? Are you not ready? Because I'll wait until whenever you are." She paused for a moment to take in the silence around her. There was no response, nor was there much of a reaction from the man in front of her. The silence was unnerving, nearly enough to confirm all the apprehensions she had about his feelings for her. Now, she feared his answer, but she needed to know. So she inhaled again, speaking softly; quietly; nervously. "Why don't you want to be with me?"

Those words stabbed and twisted right into Steven's heart; all of his fears were coming true.

His eyes widened in a concoction of fear and dread, masked with pure regret. _No. No. No. Not this again. Not May._

"May," his lips almost threatened to quiver. Mouth running dry and heart pounding in his ears, he found himself unable to maintain any sort of gentleman-like demeanor he was usually so skillful with. "I do want to be with you, more than anything." The words spewed from his mouth more frantically than he planned. "It's more complicated than that." He brought a hand to his chin, trying very hard to avoid eye contact with her scalding blue eyes. "Then again, maybe it's not complicated."

"Steven." She said firmly, interrupting his train of thought.

"Fine," he exhaled in defeat. "Stating it simply, I'm just not interested in … that."

Sapphire eyes fluttered, open and close as she stared blankly at the silver-haired man. "Do you mean that you're not interesting in _me_? Or -"

"Not you." He interrupted, his heart twisting and breaking that he would make her feel that way. "To be blunt, I mean sex. With anyone."

If it wasn't already an uncomfortable topic to discuss, it didn't help that he was forced into this conversation with May of all people. He felt immensely uncomfortable, anxious even, beneath her stare. What was she thinking? Was she confused? Should he say more?

He became increasingly mindful of the Wingull's cries outside, now sounding notably more disharmonious in an out-of-tune chord.

"Oh." She finally vocalized. No disappointment; no surprise; no shock. Just a simple signal of her recognition. "I see."

"You see?" He echoed. Surely it couldn't have been that easy, right?

May hummed affirmatively. Reaching across the bed, she placed her hands on top of his, reminding him to unclench his fists. He waited for further commentary. However, all he got was one of her beautiful, award-worthy smiles.

"That's it?" Steven asked, still confused by the anticlimax of his coming out.

"What more does there need to be?" May answered simply. "If you don't want to do something, then we won't do it. Simple as that. I only wish you told me sooner."

He was thrilled - of course. But to unlearn the misconception that something was compromising about him in a matter of seconds? It would probably take a little while to settle in. All that build up - all that anxiety for a minute-long conversation that resolved as quickly as it started?

May inched herself closer to him, wrapping her arms around his thin waist. He instinctively brought his arm around her shoulders, bringing her in as close as possible.

She looked up at his faintly flushed cheeks, admiring the man she loved so dearly. Her lips pulled into a gentle smile. "Can I kiss you?" She asked, her voice sweet as honey.

The smile the forced its way onto Steven's already glowing face gave her a clue of what he'd say. But he didn't say anything. Instead, he responded by tilting her head up toward his and closing the little distance that lingered between them.

His kiss was so gentle, so sweet that she became completely entranced in everything that was him. She kissed back just as gingerly, sending his head spinning as he felt her hand entwine in his.

The sun had began to set, but the warm summer breeze lingered throughout the air, still creeping in through May's open window. The Wingull's overtones aligned and formed into a melodic duet, but Steven and May hardly noticed. It was perfection. There was nothing else she needed from him. Nothing produced in nature could compare to the serenity of holding each other with no secrets wedged between them.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Based on the popular headcanon that Steven is asexual. I approve this message. Sorry if you were hoping for something more explicit. But as a Christian, pre-sexual debut ace/demisexual myself, I doubt I'm the best person to write a lemon LMAO. Asexual characters need more love; I wanted to write something that openly involved the couple deciding not to have sex, rather than the asexual person deciding to have sex for the sake of their partner. So here's this thing. Or was this my excuse to write a lot of make out scenes? Who knows. I do like writing those.

I really like writing interactions between May, Brendan and Wally. Wally is a beautiful cinnamon roll who must be protected I dont care how strong he is.  
I kept the mystery woman in the beginning ambiguous, but I definitely had someone in mind from the game. I felt real bad writing sad Steven, sorry. And anyone catch what movie they were watching? Not really relevant but you get a cookie if you recognize it. It was my (super hot) high school biology teacher's favorite movie and he made us watch it after AP testing.

Hope you liked reading and be nice if you didn't. Thank you so much for reading and I really appreciate all your reviews! Best wishes, until the next fic!


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